Rachel Griffiths at Scholastic has acquired two middle-grade novels by Spencer Quinn, also known as Edgar Award-winning author Peter Abrahams. The Bowser & Jolene books star a new detective duo: a dog named Bowser and an 11-year-old girl named Jolene. When a prize stuffed marlin is stolen from Jolene's grandmother's bait-and-tackle shop on the Louisiana coast, Jolene and Bowser take on the case. But what looks like a straightforward break-in soon becomes as tangled as a tourist’s fishing line. The first Bowser & Jolene title is scheduled for 2015; Molly Friedrich at the Friedrich Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Krista Marino at Delacorte has bought an untitled YA novel from King Dork author Frank Portman, who is also lead singer/songwriter of The Mr. T Experience. In the new books, King Dork's Tom Henderson must face the Killing Fields of suburban high school, solve a mystery or two, and deal with assigned reading; it will be published in spring 2016. A previously announced sequel, King Dork Approximately, will pub in fall 2014. Steve Malk at Writers House negotiated the deal for U.S., Canadian, and open market rights.
Nancy Hinkel at Knopf has acquired David Levithan's Rhiannon, the companion to Every Day, his recent novel about A, the character who changes bodies on a daily basis. The new book is told from the perspective of A's love interest, Rhiannon. Publication is set for spring 2015; Bill Clegg at WME brokered the deal for North American rights.
Michelle Poploff at Delacorte Press has bought a futuristic thriller called The Fearless, by Emma Pass. It's the story of 17-year-old Cass and her fight to protect her younger brother from a terrifying enemy known as The Fearless; it will be published in 2015. Pass's novel Acid will be released in March 2014, also from Delacorte. Bronwen Bennie at Penguin Random House did the deal for U.S./Canadian/non-exclusive open market rights.
Allison Wortche at Knopf has acquired You Make Me Lovely by Jennifer Niven, in her YA debut. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school – both teetering on the edge – it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship, and two teens' desperate desire to heal and to save one another. Publication is scheduled for spring 2015; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency did the two-book deal for world rights.
Pamela Garfinkel at Little, Brown's Poppy imprint has bought Love, Lucy by April Lindner, author of Jane and Catherine. It centers on 17-year-old Lucy Sommersworth, who, after falling for a street musician while backpacking in Florence, faces the realities of her freshman year of college; it was inspired by A Room with a View. Publication is set for fall 2014; Amy Williams at McCormick & Williams Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has bought world rights to Wolfie the Bunny from Boy + Bot author Ame Dyckman, in which a family of bunnies adopts a baby wolf to the dismay of the youngest bunny daughter, and Horrible Bear, a story about unexpected kindness, both to be illustrated by Zachariah OHora (Stop Snoring, Bernard!), for publication in spring 2015 and spring 2016 respectively. Scott Treimel at Scott Treimel NY represented the author and Sean McCarthy at Sheldon Fogelman Agency represented the illustrator.
Steve Geck at Sourcebooks has acquired Krista Van Dolzer's contemporary MG novel Duel/Duet, a David and Goliath story set around a middle-school class election and a musical recital. Van Dolzer writes the Mother. Write. (Repeat.) blog, and is author of The Regenerated Man, which Putnam will publish in winter 2015. Publication of Duel/Duet is set for fall 2015; Kate Schafer Testerman of kt literary did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Liz Waniewski at Dial has bought a new picture book from Michael B. Kaplan, Get That Room Clean!, in which a crafty boy discovers a way to get you, the reader, to clean his room. Kaplan is an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer, co-creator and executive producer of the Dog with a Blog kids' TV show, and author of the Betty Bunny series. The projected publication date is 2015; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties did the deal for world rights.
